(2 Timothy 3:1-5) "This know
also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers
of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, truce breakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors,
heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form
of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

The phrase "last days" must be
understood by the context in which it is used. In this passage it seems to
indicate a future time. But since all these dire things were happening at the
time of this writing these "last days" could well be descriptive of
the last dispensation or age of religious history rather than something to come
at a future date. We have the Patriarchal age and the Mosaical age followed by
the Gospel age which is the age in which we now live. This age is referred to
in Acts 2:17 in the quoted prophecy of Joel as "this is that."

Various historians and philosophers have
described most all of these conditions as being in existence in ancient
history. These are certainly not new sins that will be introduced in time to
come. This is a warning that the same things that people were guilty of then
would continue to beset and beguile people as time progressed. As we look at
the list we recognize nearly all of them in those round about. But these are
things that we can all be guilty of. Some of them are more prevalent than
others: "lovers of self, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
trucebreakers, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God."

We need to give ourselves constant, honest
examinations to be sure that we are not afflicted with any of these. We are
living in "perilous times."